


Conversations Long Overdue

by Misty_Reeyus



Series: True Colors [6]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Developing Relationships, F/F, F/M, Friendship, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Romance, Teamwork, emotional honesty, lots of heart-to-hearts, post-identity reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:56:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26947066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misty_Reeyus/pseuds/Misty_Reeyus
Summary: Amidst some much-needed discussions, the Kaitou Kid Capture Brigade becomes the exact opposite of what its name implies, and the relationships between members become increasingly intimate.
Relationships: Hakuba Saguru & Koizumi Akako & Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid & Nakamori Aoko, Hakuba Saguru/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Hakuba Saguru/Nakamori Aoko, Koizumi Akako/Nakamori Aoko, Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid/Nakamori Aoko
Series: True Colors [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/527734
Comments: 14
Kudos: 68





	Conversations Long Overdue

**Author's Note:**

> oh look the poly FINALLY decided to show up

Kaito figures that the best way to explain Kaitou Kid would be to take Aoko to the place where it all started: his own bedroom. So as soon as classes end, that’s exactly what he does, and he also takes Hakuba and Akako along because at this point, they might as well learn the whole story, too. Now, with Hakuba leaned against Kaito’s desk and Akako and Aoko sitting together on Kaito’s bed and all three of them staring expectantly, Kaito takes a deep breath, turns to the portrait of his father, and pushes.

He quickly steps backwards as the rotating door kicks into gear, and once the spinning finally settles to reveal the other side of the painting, Kaito whirls right back around to address his audience:

“The first Kaitou Kid was my father.”

“...Toichi-ojisan,” Aoko murmurs, seeming somber but not especially surprised. “I did think the age thing was weird. You couldn’t have been Kid when we were little.”

“Yes, I suspected as much,” Hakuba adds. “It wasn’t hard to find records on your father. The timing of Kaitou Kid’s hiatus perfectly aligns with his death.”

“But you’re not your dad, Kaito,” Aoko says. “I know that he means a lot to you, but just because he was Kid didn’t mean you had to be, too.”

Kaito winces, because she’s right, and in the beginning, he was absolutely guilty of being a thief purely because he felt like he had to follow in his beloved father’s footsteps. But there’s more to it now, a _lot_ more, and it’s this part that’s difficult to explain. Not because it’s complicated, but because it just _hurts_.

But then, Hakuba does it for him. “There are people trying to kill the Kaitou Kid,” he cuts in, sounding as if he’s already long-since pieced everything together. “Assassins. Recurring ones, apparently, even though they’ve managed to stay off the police’s radar so far.” His eyes harden as they meet Kaito’s own. “They succeeded once already, didn’t they?”

Kaito swallows hard and nods.

“Wait,” Aoko gasps in utter horror. “So...that wasn’t an accident?”

“No. Dad was murdered.”

Aoko’s hand flies to her mouth, and she wildly shakes her head. “B-but if that was the case, you should have told the police!”

“Told them what, exactly?” Kaito mutters. “That despite the lack of any real evidence indicating it was anything other than an accident, my dad was, in fact, killed by unidentified individuals belonging to a shadowy organization that’s looking for a crying immortality gem? Even _if_ they took me seriously, what could they really do with that?” He glances down at the floor. “Not to mention, when you consider the fact that their presence has _never_ been officially noted in any police reports, there’s reason to believe someone on the force might be covering up for them.”

At that, a heavy silence reigns throughout the room.

“...Hold on,” Akako pipes up for the first time since they all got here. “‘Crying immortality gem’?”

Kaito laughs bitterly. “Oh, sorry, got ahead of myself. Yeah, so here’s the freaky part.” And he tells them everything he knows about Pandora.

“Fascinating,” Akako whispers when he’s done, her eyes clearly burning with interest. “I’ll need to look into that myself.”

Hakuba, on the other hand, is disbelieving. “They’re seriously looking for a gem that glows red in the moonlight and cries tears of immortality. That is their actual motivation.”

“They believed in it enough to kill my dad over it,” Kaito points out. “And if it _is_ real, I certainly can’t let them get their hands on it. Stealing the big jewels before they did was the only way I could think of to try and stop them, to have any chance of bringing them to justice.”

Aoko’s eyes fill with tears, and for the first time since this all started, Kaito thinks he sees _understanding_ in them. “So that’s why you’re Kid.”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m Kid.”

And Aoko cries. She bends over and her chest heaves as sobs burst noisily from her throat, and Akako immediately moves to hug her, patting at her head and rocking her back and forth. Nobody says a word, everyone just watching mutely, until eventually, Aoko manages to calm herself and lift her head.

“Okay,” Aoko tells Kaito as she wipes the tears from her face. “I...I’m still mad at you, and I can’t say I agree with all your choices, and I’ll probably have more questions later, but for now...” She lets out a slow, shuddering breath. “Okay. At least I finally get where you’re coming from.”

She leans further into Akako, and Akako rubs her shoulder comfortingly, and Kaito can’t help but gape at the intimacy that’s so clearly present between them. Those two have been weirdly _close_ to each other all day, really, and definitely much more touchy-feely than the last time Kaito saw them together. He’s hesitant to actually ask what that’s all about, but Aoko must notice him staring, because she speaks again.

“Well, since this is an opportunity to air out the dirt, I suppose I have something to say as well.” She slides her palm over Akako’s, interlocks their fingers, and throws their conjoined hands up in the air. “Akako-chan and I started dating.”

Kaito chokes on himself, and suddenly he is near to bursting with questions of when, and how, and holy shit, why _Akako_ of all people?!—but he catches himself just in time, clamping them all down. Right now, he doesn’t exactly have the right to demand answers from Aoko about anything.

“...Okay,” Kaito voices finally, too stunned to say anything else. He exchanges a glance with Hakuba, who looks equally floored by this revelation, and then the words spill from Kaito’s tongue unbidden: “I kissed Hakuba.”

“B-but we’re not dating!” Hakuba is quick to clarify, nervously clearing his throat. “It’s just...something that happened.”

“Yeah. What he said.”

“...Okay,” Aoko echoes, then glances around the room. “Is there anything else anyone would like to say?”

Akako raises her hand, the one not still holding Aoko’s. “I might as well get this out of the way.” Then she turns towards Hakuba specifically. “I’m a witch.”

Hakuba just kind of blankly blinks back at her. “What.”

“She has magic,” Kaito provides. “You know: spells, potions, voodoo...”

“The power to capture the affections of any and all men,” Aoko chimes in, and that’s the one that actually gets Hakuba to unscrunch his brow and look as if he’s genuinely considering the idea. After all, Akako’s love magic _does_ work on him, even if he has far better control of himself than most teenage boys.

“Immortality gems,” Hakuba intones dryly. “Witches. _Magic_.” He still doesn’t quite seem to believe any of it, but the fact that both Kaito and Aoko are supporting Akako’s claim does apparently hold some weight with him, and eventually, he throws up his arms in a helpless sort of _fuck it_ gesture. “Sure. Why not.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll take you up on the broom after this,” Akako offers. “That should clear up all your doubts.”

Kaito doesn’t really know what Akako’s talking about, but Aoko is smiling knowingly, so he’s content to just leave it at that.

* * *

After all is said and done, the four of them split off into two groups when leaving Kaito’s house. Akako has Hakuba accompany her towards the street corner, claiming she needs to show him something; meanwhile, Kaito and Aoko head right next door to her place. Ever since Aoko ran away, Kaito has been purposefully avoiding this house to delay having to face her father, but the time has finally come.

Inspector Nakamori isn’t home when they enter, still working as usual, but he does return just as Aoko and Kaito finish preparing dinner. Kaito was worried whether Aoko would be able to hold up in front of her dad, but she manages surprisingly well, simply pulling him into a tight, long hug in the entryway, then promising that food will be on the table by the time he’s changed out of his work clothes.

So they have dinner, a family dinner, and if not for the unspoken tension hanging over all their heads, Kaito could almost pretend everything’s gone back to normal. Nobody talks about how Aoko was gone for ten days; nobody talks about much of anything, really. They all just glance occasionally at each other across the table while eating, and when the meal is over, Aoko pointedly looks her father straight in the eye while gently squeezing Kaito’s hand, then leaves in the direction of the stairs, presumably up towards her room.

Left behind in the dining room, both men stare at each other.

Nakamori is the one who speaks first. “So I don’t know exactly what happened, but I do know that you really, _really_ hurt my daughter.”

Kaito nods in silent agreement.

“And I kind of want to kill you for that,” he growls, “but Aoko seems to be willing to put it aside. So I will too, for her. But I won’t forget this, either.”

“Of course. I understand.”

Some of the tension visibly drains from Nakamori’s form, and he stands from the table before reaching out to lay a hand on Kaito’s shoulder. “You’re not just anyone to her, Kaito-kun. Remember that. You’ve been like family for years, and I hope that as a family, we’ll be able to move past this.”

It hurts, because Kaito is still hiding things, and now so is Aoko, and they simply _can’t_ afford to be honest with the inspector about any of this. But for now, it’s a tenuous sort of resolution, and Kaito accepts that gratefully.

“Yeah. I hope so too.”

* * *

“Honestly,” Saguru says, as he dismounts from the broomstick to set foot on the ground just behind the Hakuba mansion’s garage, “this explains _so much_ about you.”

Akako-san smirks, still seated on the floating wooden rod. “Your doubts in regards to my magic are gone, I presume.”

“When you have eliminated the impossible,” Saguru quotes. “And I concede that it’s impossible for this broomstick to have carried us here without some sort of supernatural element at play.” Admittedly, when he first saw the broomstick in action during that one heist where Akako-san covered for Kid, he just assumed it was some sort of trick. But after having physically flown on the broom himself, Saguru now has to acknowledge the truth. “Even further evidence is the effect you have on me, and all the other boys in class.” He pauses, reconsiders. “Well...except for Kuroba?”

Akako-san sighs. “Yes, you’re correct, Kuroba-kun is immune. The only man in the world who is, apparently.” She scrunches her nose in frustration, but then snaps out of it to level Saguru with a curious stare. “You’ve dropped the ‘-kun’.”

Saguru shrugs helplessly.

Akako-san hums. “I did wonder about that _tension_ between you two, but to be honest, I’m surprised it actually came to fruition.”

“It didn’t come to fruition. Like I said, we’re not dating.” Saguru bites his lip as he remembers the impulsive nature of the whole incident. “A drunken kiss during a moment of vulnerability does not a relationship make.”

“Why not?” Akako-san asks, and seems genuinely confused. “You both like each other, clearly. What’s stopping you from just going for it?”

“Caving to hormonal urges during an emotional crisis, while tempting, was simply not a proper solution to the problem. And besides...Kuroba clearly loves Aoko-kun more than anyone.” Saguru cards a hand through his hair. “We _were_ thinking that maybe after everything calmed down, we might be able to discuss things with Aoko-kun at some point, but, well. Since you two are together, I guess that’s off the table now.”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t be so sure. Even after everything, Aoko-san still loves Kuroba-kun.” Akako-san winks cheekily. “And don’t necessarily count yourself out, either.”

Ah. So his own crush on Aoko-kun really is that obvious.

“You’re okay with that?” Saguru asks. “Even though you’re the one dating her?”

“Oh, monogamy has _never_ really been a thing in my family. Red witches take whatever they want.” She brings a finger to her lips, lightly biting at the nail. “And you boys are both rather lovely specimens. I wouldn’t mind getting to watch.”

Saguru instantly flushes hot. “Now you’re just teasing me.”

“Good deduction,” Akako-san admits, laughing. “What can I say? It’s fun making you turn red.”

“Yes, well. Now that I _know_ how you’re affecting me, maybe it won’t be so easy for you in the future.” Honestly, Saguru could swear that just being aware of the magic’s existence is already helping. Yes, Akako-san is still garnering a reaction, but he genuinely feels like he does have more control of himself now as he talks to her.

“I suppose we’ll just have to see next time,” Akako-san drawls, and waggles her fingers in goodbye before taking off into the air and quickly disappearing from sight.

Saguru is left smiling the entire walk up to his front door.

* * *

“You’re not going to stop, are you?” After dinner, after whatever talk Kaito and Dad had when Aoko left them alone, Kaito goes home—and it’s only once Aoko accompanies him to his front door and they’re both thoroughly out of her father’s earshot that she finally dares to say it. “Stealing gems, egging on my father. Being Kaitou Kid. Even after all this, you’re still not going to give it up.”

“I _can’t_ , Aoko,” Kaito insists, meeting her eyes pleadingly. “They killed Dad over that jewel. They’ve done who knows what other horrible things in pursuit of it. I can’t let them have it.”

“You’re not _safe_ , Kaito. Those people are trying to _kill you_. Do you really think I can just sit back and be okay with that?” She clutches at his arm almost desperately. “E-even if not the MPD, we could still reach out to other authorities—”

“They could very well be compromised, too,” Kaito cuts her off. “Honestly, these guys are kind of incompetent, but they’ve nevertheless gotten away with _a lot_. That just doesn’t happen without having major and extensive influence.”

Aoko deeply inhales, then slowly lets out the breath. “So it’s like I thought. You’ll keep on doing it no matter what I say.”

“Yes. I’m sorry, but you can’t stop me.” His eyes shimmer like steel. “ _Nothing_ can stop me.”

Yeah. Aoko already knew that full well.

And honestly, the more she considers everything, the more she _gets it_. As much as she would love to leave it all to the authorities, as much as she now _aches_ tell her father about the assassins that are apparently at heists so that he’ll be able to look out for himself, Aoko can recognize the situation. If they _are_ in the police, which it’s really starting to sound like they are, the fact that her father hasn’t been touched yet means that he’s actually much safer being ignorant.

That’s where Kaito has been coming from this whole time. He thought they were all safer being ignorant.

“It must be hard,” Aoko murmurs. “Trying to keep people safe all by yourself. Holding onto that knowledge without telling anyone.”

Kaito shrugs. “I can handle it. I’ve _been_ handling it just fine.”

Aoko shoots him a small, sad smile. “Have you really?”

Kaito bites his lip, furrowing his brow as he looks her over. He doesn’t answer the question, instead asking his own: “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying that you need help.”

“I do have help. I have...an accomplice.” Kaito seems reluctant to actually name them, though.

“Jii-san, right?” In retrospect, it’s now clear that the old man has to have known about Kid all along, and the way Kaito averts his gaze is confirmation enough. “But still, you need more.”

Kaito blinks, then abruptly startles, like he just can’t believe what he’s hearing. “A-Aoko?”

“I still don’t quite forgive you,” Aoko says. “For lying to me, and tricking me, and undermining all my work in the brigade. But you’re in danger, and you’ve had to carry that for so long all on your own, and I...I just can’t _bear_ to see anything happen to you, Kaito.”

In the end, she simply can’t turn her back on him.

“You need help,” Aoko whispers, her arms tucking around him. “And I need to help you.”

So she hugs him, and he hugs back, and they hold each other tight for all they’re worth.

* * *

The next day, the Kaitou Kid Capture Brigade meets at the Blue Parrot Bar, for purposes of the exact opposite nature that the group’s name would imply.

“We’re helping Kaitou Kid now,” Aoko bluntly announces to the assembled few, and Kaito still can’t believe those words are actually coming out of her mouth. “Any objections?”

Akako shakes her head. “A little late for that at this point, I’d say.”

“Indeed,” Hakuba mutters. “I’m still not entirely sure how I got here, but I’ve made my bed, and I’m going to lie in it.”

Jii-chan lets out a loud sniffle from behind the bar, wiping at his face with his handkerchief. Despite his initial wariness at the idea of bringing in new accomplices when Kaito called him last night, he now seems thoroughly moved to tears, and Kaito reaches over the counter to gently pat at his shoulder. “Thank you, all of you. Thank you for deciding to stick with Bocchama.”

“So,” Aoko says, “where do we start?”

“Well, there’s something that I think is worth noting,” Akako pipes up, standing from her seat to garner further attention. “So I asked Lucifer,”—beside her Hakuba goes wide-eyed and silently mouths _Lucifer?_ to himself—“and he refused to tell me any specifics about Pandora. Something about how ‘its powers are not meant for humankind’ and ‘not even a red witch has anything worth offering in exchange for that information’.” She scoffs, viciously flipping her hair back. “So while I can confirm that Pandora is, at the very least, the name of a real magical artifact, I cannot claim for certain that it is the gem Kuroba-kun speaks of, nor can I garner anything about its location.”

“Speaking of location,” Hakuba cuts in, “your father’s exploits were international, but Kid’s crimes have been almost entirely domestic since you took up his mantle. Are you so sure that Pandora is in Japan?”

“I’m not sure at all, honestly,” Kaito admits. “But since the assassins seem to be based in Japan, it’s my best bet.” Plus, he’s in high school, and he doesn’t exactly have the same schedule and resources that his adult, world-traveler magician of a father did.

“And besides that,” Hakuba continues, apparently not even close to done, “why also go after paintings, or smaller gems that cannot _possibly_ hold Pandora? Simply because you were challenged?”

“Hey, I can’t very well let Kaitou Kid’s reputation be tarnished! Maintaining my image and presence is an important part of drawing out the assassins while simultaneously keeping them from harming bystanders.”

Hakuba just stares at him blankly. “This whole plan is very flawed, you realize that, right?”

“Oh, what better ideas do _you_ have?”

“Well,” Akako chimes in, “if you gave me the name of a jewel owner and one of their meaningful personal possessions, I’m sure I could voodoo them into simply handing over their gems for a night.”

Kaito narrows his eyes. “Akako, _n_ _o_. No voodoo. Never again.”

“ _Again_?!” Hakuba cries, this time not even bothering to stay silent, as he frantically glances between the two of them like they’re crazy people (which, to be fair, they are).

“Relax, none of them are going to get hurt,” Akako assures, flippantly waving her hand. “We would just ask if we could check their gems, and they wouldn’t be able to say no.”

“Stripping people of their free will is _not cool_ , Akako.”

“Oh, and I suppose manipulating them into doing what you want through deception and mind games so that you can take their possessions without permission is _so_ much better.”

Admittedly, Kaito can’t really think of a great comeback to that.

“...We’re gonna put a pin in that,” Aoko decides on all of their behalves. “For today, we should probably just figure out where the brigade will assemble going forward. Obviously, meeting at my house won’t work with my dad around, and we probably can’t plan in this bar unless Jii-san is willing to close the place up whenever we want.”

Jii-chan furrows his brow and shakes his head. He has closed up for Kaito’s sake a few times before, but given that the Blue Parrot is his main source of income, he really can’t afford to do it too often.

“I guess,” Kaito sighs, “that leaves the Kid Cave.”

Hakuba quirks a brow. “Your hideout, I presume?”

“A hidden room in my house full of all my Kid stuff,” Kaito confesses, even as part of him aches at the thought of letting anyone intrude on what he’s come to view as something of a _sanctuary_ , meant only for himself and his father. “That painting I showed you? It’s the secret entrance.”

“...So this entire time,” Aoko mutters, more to herself than anything, “not only has Kaitou Kid been living in the house right next door, but his entire secret base has also been just right there in the _freaking wall_.”

Kaito shrugs helplessly.

Aoko, to her credit, punches him in the shoulder only two times.

* * *

“He has a _car_ behind his walls.”

Hakuba-kun knocks on the hood of said car as he mutters aloud to himself, and Aoko watches him in amusement from across the room. It’s just the two of them in the Kid Cave right now; Kaito initially brought in the entire brigade to introduce the place, but a minute ago, Akako-chan asked to use the bathroom, and she left with Kaito so that he could show her where it is.

“How did this even get in here?” Hakuba-kun continues. “And for what purpose? It’s not like anyone could drive it anywhere like this.”

He probably wasn’t actually expecting a response, but Aoko gives one anyway. “It’s Kaitou Kid. His actions defy all common sense.”

“True enough,” Hakuba-kun sighs. “And now here I am helping him. This is really my life now.” He groans, his hand coming up to cover his forehead. “ _God_ , how did I end up in this situation?”

“I guess Kaito’s just good at winning people over to his side,” Aoko says lightly, then bites her lip as she shoots him a meaningful look. “Especially when they _like_ him.”

Hakuba-kun freezes up, flustering. “A-Aoko-kun—”

“Oh no, don’t worry, I don’t disapprove. In fact, I think you could be good for him. He needs someone orderly to balance out his chaos.” Aoko shrugs. “All I ever do is make the chaos worse.”

“It’s a tad more complicated than that.” Hakuba-kun seems to debate something with himself for a while before speaking again. “You...do know he loves you, right?”

“So people keep telling me,” Aoko murmurs. And while knowing that her crush was reciprocated might once have made her happy, now she’s just not sure how she feels about any of it. “But forget about me. Kaito likes you, and you like Kaito, so you really should just give it a shot. I’ll admit, I didn’t exactly see it coming, but in retrospect, it makes perfect sense.” There always was a sort of unspoken _energy_ between those two, something that Aoko couldn’t quite name at the time but that now seems glaringly obvious. “I suppose I really should have realized sooner, what with how you kept flirting with me just to get a rise out of him.”

Hakuba-kun blinks, blinks again, then gapes as if appalled by those words. “Aoko-kun, please don’t undervalue yourself,” he says, tone insistent. “You are _lovely_. And I assure you, regardless of Kuroba, the interest I’ve expressed in you has always been genuine.”

“...Oh.” Aoko can feel her cheeks heating up as that declaration registers. Honestly, part of her still doesn’t entirely believe it: that Akako-chan agreed to date her, that Kaito is apparently in love with her, that Hakuba-kun _meant it_ all those times he flirted with her. She doesn’t understand how or why all these beautiful and fascinating people keep expressing interest in her, childish and plain and unremarkable as she is.

“Thank you,” she says eventually, still appreciative even as it seems unimaginable to her. “And for what it’s worth, I did enjoy having your interest.”

“That’s worth a lot,” Hakuba-kun replies, and smiles at her before turning his gaze back to the ridiculously placed car. Rolling his eyes, he adds, “It’s a shame, really. I suppose I’ve missed my chance with the only other sane person in this group.”

“Well,” Aoko chimes, unable to help giggling, “maybe sane is actually a little overrated.”

Hakuba-kun chuckles himself. “Yes,” he agrees. “Perhaps you have a point there.”

* * *

“Uh, Akako? The bathroom is the other way.”

Kuroba-kun sounds confused as he points it out, but he also doesn’t resist as Akako physically drags him by his arm down a random hallway. Only when they’re as far away from Kuroba-kun’s bedroom as they’re going to get does Akako release him, whirling to look him straight in the eye.

“I don’t need the bathroom,” she admits. “I just needed to get you alone.”

“...Okay?” Kuroba-kun suddenly seems very wary. “What do you want?”

“I think it’s more about what you want. Because you’ve wanted to say something to me for days now, but you wouldn’t say it in front of the others.” Akako has noticed the _looks_ Kuroba-kun has been shooting her: at the Blue Parrot yesterday, and during school earlier today, and in the Kid Cave just a few minutes ago. She’s sure she knows what it’s about, too, and since he has yet to actually find the nerve to pull her aside himself, she might as well do it for him. “So go ahead. Get it off your chest.”

For a long time, Kuroba-kun just stares at her, and when he finally does speak, his voice is quiet and feeble. “...You and Aoko?”

“Yes,” Akako sighs, “it happened while she was staying at my house. And no, my powers have nothing to do with it, the spell has no effect on girls.” That should answer a couple of his—no doubt _man_ _y_ —unspoken questions. She waits for Kuroba-kun to actually ask the rest, but he instead remains somberly silent, so she quirks a brow. “Well? Aren’t you going to give me the third degree?”

“...No. I don’t really have the right to demand answers about your relationship.” But he still looks anxious, like there’s something else he wants to say that he’s holding back, so Akako simply crosses her arms and levels him with an unimpressed stare until he coughs it up. “It’s just...Aoko’s been through a lot recently. She’s hurting, she’s raw, and I don’t know if she’s in the right state of mind to really date _anyone_.”

Akako blinks in surprise, then bites at her lip. Okay, admittedly, perhaps she hasn’t properly considered that herself.

“So I kind of want to tell you to back off a little,” Kuroba-kun continues. “To give her some space so she can make sure she’s dating for the right reasons, and not because she’s just confused or desperate. And I know I don’t have any right to say all this after the way _I_ hurt her, but I just...I don’t want your relationship to wind up hurting her even more.”

“Believe me,” Akako says, “I don’t want that either.”

Kuroba-kun nods, and she finds some assurance in that he’s apparently not doubting her. Honestly, Akako was almost expecting him to be jealous or angry, or perhaps even accuse her of _using_ Aoko-san for nefarious purposes—but she supposes that by now, she’s gained his trust. Not his affection, of course not, but his trust is still a surprisingly nice thing to have.

“In the end, I guess all I can really say is this.” Kuroba-kun takes a deep breath and meets Akako’s gaze pleadingly. “Be good to her. Try not to hurt her, or take advantage of her. Basically...don’t treat her the way I have.”

“...I see,” Akako murmurs in understanding. “I’ll do my best.”

She means that as a promise.

* * *

Kaito is used to planning out Kid heists all by himself.

Jii-chan is essential to execution, of course, but the sheer creativity that drives each theft, each _performance_ , has always come from Kaito. It’s Kaito who researches gems and chooses which ones to target, it’s Kaito who carefully composes every riddle for Kid’s calling cards, it’s Kaito who masterminds all the gambits and ruses and magic tricks. That’s the balance he and Jii-chan have struck in their partnership, and so far, it’s worked out just fine.

So Kaito really doesn’t know how to feel about all this new... _feedback_.

Here, in the Kid Cave where Kaito used to only ever listen to himself and his father’s voice on records, the members of the Capture-turned-Assistance Brigade now sit around and ask questions, discuss options. Hakuba insists that with his family’s connections, he could find easier and more legal ways to inspect jewels. Akako claims that despite Lucifer’s refusals, she hasn’t given up on the possibility of using magic to somehow track Pandora down. Aoko, surprisingly, doesn’t say anything in response to either of them, instead simply staring straight at Kaito whilst frowning the whole time.

Probably because she knows his mind can’t be changed.

Kaito refuses to alter his game plan, and goes on to argue his point. Kaitou Kid is more than a thief, he’s a public _icon_. He’s a showman through and through, and he can’t forgo heists, nor the theatrics that come with them. If anything about Kid’s M.O. changed, people would realize that something was up; the men in black might even take it as a sign of weakness and try to strike.

“And also,” Aoko cuts in, her tone and facial expression both dry as a desert, “part of you really does just enjoy this.”

Kaito is not stupid enough to argue with that.

(He has his reasons, but he can’t deny that at the core of it, being Kaitou Kid is more than just a mission to him. It’s even more than just a connection to his father. It’s a unique thrill, an adrenaline rush—the more of a challenge it is, the more _fun_. And with his entire life being the mess that it is, he tries to have fun whenever he can.

Really, he almost wishes Suzuki Jirokichi would toss out an announcement soon. It would be a nice, low-stakes break from the emotional trainwreck this brigade has recently caused, plus he would get to check up on his dear littlest critic.)

Still, the others do concede that for the sake of publicity and safety, it would probably be best for Kid to continue heists as usual. In the meantime, Hakuba and Akako will work what other angles they can, and Aoko asserts that the Capture Brigade should maintain a presence at heists, both to keep up appearances and to provide Kid with assistance should he need it. Kaito can agree to that, even if the idea of having the rest of the brigade actually work _with_ him during a heist still seems so strange.

And as things play out over the next week, Kaito recognizes that their chipping in during the planning stages can have some distinct advantages.

Before Kaito even chooses his next target, Hakuba pulls a few strings using his father’s name to get blueprints for various banks vaults and museum exhibits, allowing for far more flexibility than when Kid had to steal plans from the police after his own announcement. When Kaito writes the calling card, Akako offers to print the message using a special ink—essentially, a magic potion that will make the jewel’s owner more susceptible to suggestion—which is a compromise that Kaito can settle upon, since it’s not straight-up mind control. As the police prepare, Aoko promises she’ll ask the inspector about the task force’s strategy, and Kaito is amazed at how she’s resolved herself to lie to her father’s face, to blatantly betray her father’s confidence, all for Kaito’s sake.

He still can’t understand how after everything, Aoko has chosen him.

Yet, she has. Against all odds, she’s chosen to help rather than hinder, to be Kid’s accomplice even in the face of both the law and her own family, and it strikes Kaito that he is so damn _lucky_ to have her. To have a best friend who cares about him so much, who has proven she will stick by him no matter what. He hasn’t quite been forgiven for lying to her, but he’s nonetheless been _accepted_ for who and what he is, when he was so certain that once the truth broke, Aoko would never want to be part of his life ever again.

It’s unbelievable. It’s so much more than he deserves.

(And like an age-old wound beginning to heal, the weight that Kaitou Kid has placed upon Kaito’s shoulders seems to truly lighten for the very first time.)

* * *

Aoko-san is working _so hard_ for Kuroba-kun.

Akako has known that this whole time, but it really strikes her now, as she enters the Kid Cave to find Aoko-san sitting alone at the drafting table, vigorously writing on a blueprint. She’s so focused on the task, she doesn’t even notice when Akako approaches, so close as to be hovering at her side. Aoko-san appears to be sketching out a formation—likely the police detail that she said she would get from her father—and her brow is deeply furrowed in concentration.

Akako almost wants to wipe away those wrinkles with a playful kiss to the forehead, but upon seeing just how serious Aoko-san looks, she gives pause. Eventually, she settles for gently resting her hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder, and after Aoko-san jolts in surprise, she looks up to shoot Akako a small smile.

“Oh, hey,” she greets, leaning readily into Akako’s touch. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in. Guess I was really in the zone.”

“I can see that,” Akako murmurs, now glancing from the blueprint to the various other files spread across the desk, all covered in scribbled notes about the upcoming exhibit. It’s sort of amazing, really; Akako saw firsthand just how much pain Aoko-san felt upon learning Kid’s identity, and yet here she is anyway, having tossed all her previous convictions out the window to provide assistance to the very thief she once despised.

Aoko-san is truly devoted to Kuroba-kun. So much more devoted than Akako could ever hope to understand.

“—Akako-chan, are you okay?”

The words startle Akako to attention, and she abruptly realizes that her hand has become clenched, gripping at Aoko-san’s shoulder much too tightly. She instantly lets go, and after a moment of her arm just dangling awkwardly, she winds up hastily running her fingers through her hair.

Aoko-san narrows her eyes. “Hey. Is something wrong?”

Akako bites her lip.

She’s been thinking a lot these past several days. About how Hakuba-kun refused to let a kiss lead into an actual relationship because the inciting action was too impulsive. About how Kuroba-kun pointed out that Aoko-san’s advances could be impulsive in their own right. About how Aoko-san is still clearly in love with Kuroba-kun, and despite how Akako has always been perfectly comfortable with the concept of polyamory due to her upbringing as a red witch, Aoko-san is comparatively rather _normal_.

“...Am I really what you want?”

Akako didn’t exactly mean to say it out loud, but she can’t take it back now and she doesn’t want to. The question is worth asking.

Aoko-san just looks confused, however. “What are you talking about?”

Akako sighs. “You were in a raw state when you confessed to me. Emotionally vulnerable. You needed support then, and I provided it, but now...now you have Kuroba-kun back. You’re even working with him.” Restless, Akako twirls a strand of hair between her fingers. “You still love him. And if you wanted, you could still choose him.”

Silence reigns after that. Aoko-san stares straight into Akako’s eyes, her gaze hardening by the second.

“...You know,” Aoko-san eventually mutters, putting her hands on her hips, “you’re talking like you’re so sure about what _I_ want. But honestly? I don’t even know how I feel about Kaito anymore.” There’s anger in her voice there, and it causes Akako to flinch; Aoko-san, upon seeing that, lets her expression soften. “Look, I told you before, my feelings for you have _nothing_ to do with him. Yes, I’ll admit that when I confessed, I was...in a bad place. But even so, these past couple of weeks, I haven’t regretted being with you for a moment.” She looks Akako over, suddenly seeming nervous. “...Have you?”

“No!” Akako replies instantly, remembering how very touch, every embrace, every kiss that they’ve shared since becoming a couple has been so uniquely _wonderful_. “I don’t regret it. I was just asking because...because I needed to make sure.”

“Well then.” Aoko-san swiftly stands from her chair, then loops an arm around Akako’s neck to pull her in, so close that their noses touch and their breaths mingle. “You feeling sure yet?”

...Yeah. Yeah, that’s good enough.

So Akako gives her answer by zipping forward to lock their lips together in an enthusiastic, affirmative kiss.

“Oh, and just for the record,” Akako drawls when they pull apart, partly to be cheeky and partly to cover all their bases, “in the case that you _do_ decide you still love Kuroba-kun, rest assured that I do not mind sharing.”

Aoko-san goes an utterly adorable shade of pink.

“...Noted,” Aoko-san says before suddenly spinning Akako around, causing her to squawk and stumble until the chair is pressed against the back of her legs. “Now, _hush_ _you_.”

Then Aoko-san is kissing her again, this time with such force that it actually makes Akako’s knees buckle, and the next thing she knows, she’s in the chair and Aoko-san is in her lap. Aoko-san’s mouth becomes more fervent, tongue flicking and teeth scraping, and Akako is all too happy to lose herself, drowning in sensation as her mind hazes over...

“OH MY _GOD_!!!”

The sudden and ear-splitting yell causes both girls to startle, and a whirl towards the direction of the sound reveals an agitated Kuroba-kun—clearly the one who shouted—and a sheepish Hakuba-kun standing by the Kid Cave’s entrance, both having apparently just come in.

“ _Really_?!” Kuroba-kun continues screaming, arms gesticulating frantically. “You two really had to do that here? You really had to _desecrate_ my father’s secret room?!”

Akako, more than a little miffed at being interrupted, scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Oh, calm down, it was just kissing. Not like we were gonna go under clothes.” She glares pointedly. “Besides, you know your parents have probably had sex in here.”

Kuroba-kun raises his index finger as if to emphasize a point, then abruptly halts, his eyes going wide in realization before he dramatically curls in on himself, clutching at his stomach as if wounded.

“...You are correct,” Kuroba-kun eventually croaks out, his voice rendered weak and squeaky, “but I hate that you are. Please never give me that mental image ever again.”

* * *

“You’re really okay with leaving them?” Saguru asks, once he and Kuroba swiftly exit the Kid Cave to wind up standing around in the upstairs hallway. Admittedly, Akako-san’s glare was rather intimidating as she requested some privacy, and Aoko-kun was wearing a pleading pout herself, but given how thoroughly _distraught_ Kuroba was upon initially walking in on them, it’s surprising that he’s suddenly willing to let the girls be alone together in there.

Kuroba sighs. “As much as I hate it, Akako was right. The Kid Cave can’t get any more tainted than it already has been.” He gives a full-body shudder, and Saguru bites back a chuckle at how utterly horrified Kuroba is at the mere thought of his parents being a couple and (gasp!) _c_ _oupling_. “Besides, if Aoko wants me to leave her alone, then I’ll leave her alone. I owe her at least that much.”

Ah, well. Saguru doesn’t really have anything to say to that.

“...They seem happy together,” Kuroba murmurs, leaning back against the wall. “Hell if I understand how _Akako_ of all people could make Aoko happy, but apparently she does. So that’s that. Aoko has made her choice.” He meets Saguru’s gaze heatedly, _pointedly_. “And I suppose this means we should talk about _our_ choices.”

Saguru swallows hard.

“You say that as if dating someone must be an either-or decision on Aoko-kun’s part,” Saguru points out, because he would really be remiss not to. “But just because she’s dating Akako-san doesn’t automatically close her off from dating anyone else.”

Saguru remembers what Akako-san said about her own disinterest in monogamy. He remembers Aoko-kun’s reaction when he assured her of his own interest in her: flattered, happy, and if he’s not being too optimistic, _receptive_. Admittedly, his deduction might be somewhat influenced by wishful thinking, but the more he analyzes the feelings and individual comfort levels of all parties involved, the more Saguru believes that some sort of arrangement amidst the four of them could be entirely possible.

“...Maybe,” Kuroba says, though he sounds rather doubtful of that conclusion himself. “But even if that’s true, there are still plenty of reasons Aoko wouldn’t want to date _me_ right now.”

“Fair enough,” Saguru concedes, putting his hands in his pockets. “And anyway, you’re right. We have yet to properly discuss what happened between us.”

“Yeah.” Kuroba runs his hand through his hair. “Like I said, I’m sorry that kiss happened the way it did. And I’m sorry for pushing my feelings on you when I was drunk and probably generally unstable.” His face scrunches up, like it’s taking every scrap of willpower he has just to say it. “But I...I _do_ like you, Hakuba. Fuck me with a chainsaw, but I do.”

“...Why me?” Perhaps that’s not the question Saguru should be asking right now, but it’s the one that comes out his mouth. “Why do you like _me_? To be honest, I mostly got the impression that you simply saw me as an annoyance.”

“Oh, I did. _Believe me_ , I did, especially in the beginning.” Kuroba grins, lopsided and brazen. “But even back then, I always had a begrudging sort of respect for you. You could keep up with me and my tricks. You even were able to figure out my identity. And then...something changed.”

“Changed?” Saguru echoes. “Changed how?”

“Well, you’d figured me out,” Kuroba says, “but at some point, I realized you weren’t actually trying to _stop_ me anymore. Then when the brigade happened, we started hanging out, and I got to know you. I realized you’re not as stuck-up as I thought. Sometimes, you’re even fun.” He chuckles lightly. “Oh, and you’re a flirt _monster_ , do you know that?” (Saguru does, actually; he’d first been informed as much by his Year 9 classmates back in London.) “So, yeah. After all of that, I guess I just...fell.”

Saguru nods, silently allowing all of that to sink in.

“Right then,” Kuroba mutters, gesturing vaguely towards him. “Your turn?”

Yes. Quid pro quo, as it were.

“You were infuriating at first,” Saguru starts off, earning more quiet laughter from Kuroba. “Honestly, I doubt you’ll ever stop being infuriating. But even being a thief, Kaitou Kid was so _impressive_ , and upon learning your civilian identity, I kept finding you more and more interesting. Then after spending time with you in the brigade, I realized that what mattered to me more than the fact that you were a thief...was the fact that I wanted to be your friend.”

“And is that all you want to be?” Kuroba asks, eyes lowering to the ground. “Friends?”

Saguru bites his lip.

“I never gave you a proper answer, after you confessed,” he says. “And I still stand by that, because it _was_ a bad time, and we both needed to step back and make sure of how we felt before actually committing to anything.” He steps closer to Kuroba, then removes his hands from his pockets so as to gently grasp at the other’s wrists. “But I suppose it’s been long enough now. And the truth is: it took every ounce of self-control I had that night not to kiss the absolute stuffing out of you.”

Kuroba’s head whips up, his eyes going wide with surprise—and Saguru takes his chance, tugging Kuroba forward before capturing his lips with his own. Kuroba startles at first but takes scarcely a second to become responsive, and when he kisses back, this time, it’s soft and gentle and just the right amount of sweet.

“...You’re really serious?” Kuroba asks when he pulls away, cobalt irises sparkling in delight as he gazes up into Saguru’s face.

“In retrospect, I think part of me was pining after you long before we got anywhere close to friendly,” Saguru admits. “And now that we _are_ friendly, those feelings have only magnified.”

Kuroba smiles, and it’s so beautiful that Saguru nearly bends in to kiss him again—but before he can, the sound of a door creaking open sends him whirling instead. Standing in the doorway to Kuroba’s room are Aoko-kun and Akako-san, both somewhat rumpled, having apparently finished their business in the Kid Cave. For a while, the four of them all just stare at each other, the boys somewhat anxious while the girls seem intrigued but not especially surprised.

Aoko-kun is the one who breaks the silence. “So,” she says, “I suppose we can call it even on the whole ‘walking in on each other’ thing?”

“...Yeah,” Kuroba eventually agrees, blushing a little as he tightens his grip around Saguru’s hand. “Works for me.”

* * *

When all is said and done, the hardest part for Aoko is still the sheer guilt she feels over betraying her father.

Even so, the guilt is not enough to stop her. Her first heist helping Kaitou Kid goes off without a hitch, and despite the nervousness, despite the considerable new weight on her conscience, she comes out of the whole affair simply feeling glad that they pulled it off. The members of the “Capture” Brigade facilitated the theft, put on airs around the police while secretly allowing Kid to steal the jewel without trouble, and even though this now brands her an accomplice, a criminal, Aoko doesn’t regret it for an instant.

She chose Kaito. She’s beginning to realize that she will _always_ choose Kaito.

The gem doesn’t hold Pandora, but they weren’t necessarily expecting it to—just because Kid is backed by a group now doesn’t mean he’d suddenly be any luckier at finding what he seeks. Hakuba-kun and Akako-chan still insist on developing other methods of searching, and Aoko is supportive of those as well, but in the meantime, they all still need to help Kaitou Kid scope out his next target.

...Or, they _would_ need to do that, if someone else didn’t already beat them to the punch.

“Suzuki Jirokichi,” Aoko voices now, staring at the newspaper that Kaito just shoved into her hands. “I’ve heard about him. Mostly complaints from my dad about how ridiculous he is to _invite_ Kid to steal his stuff.”

“Yeah, he’s a crazy old man,” Kaito says, as he dramatically sits himself down on his living room couch right beside Hakuba-kun. “But he’s not the problem. The problem is that when the target belongs to the Suzuki Group, the little _demon spawn_ is bound to show up.”

“Edogawa Conan,” Akako-chan chimes in from over Aoko’s shoulder, pointing at a picture of the boy that’s featured in the article. “A dangerous child, to be sure.”

Hakuba-kun quirks a brow. “You know him?”

“I know _of_ him,” Akako-chan replies. “After seeing the ‘Kid Killer’ in the news a couple times, I asked the spirits for information on him. All they could tell me, though, was that he’s followed by death and that his semblance is... _o_ _ff_ , somehow.” She shrugs. “I’m sure I could have found out more if I really tried, but since the spirits have repeatedly claimed he’s not an actual threat to Kid’s freedom or safety, I never bothered.”

“You _shouldn’t_ bother,” Kaito pipes up. “The kid’s got his own secrets and issues that I’m sure he’d like to keep to himself. And you’re right, he’s clearly in it for the game rather than for the arrest.” He frowns, then leans into his boyfriend almost absentmindedly, his head resting on Hakuba-kun’s shoulder. “Doesn’t stop him from being terrifyingly sharp, though, and that could spell trouble for you guys.”

“I have to agree,” Hakuba-kun says, his hand casually patting at Kaito’s leg. “I’ve come across Conan-kun a couple of times outside of Kid heists, and that’s a large part of the reason I’ve made a point of avoiding him at any of said heists.” His other hand comes up to run fingers through his hair. “Not that I was necessarily conscious of it at the time, but in retrospect, I think I _knew_ deep down that if Conan-kun ever saw me in action during a heist, he would realize that my intentions towards Kid were... _compromised_.”

Kaito nods. “If the Capture Brigade shows up at the same heist as that brat, he’s absolutely gonna make us. He’ll figure out that I’m Kid and you’re my accomplices, and even if he doesn’t necessarily want to arrest me, we’d best not just hand him that information.”

“So,” Aoko gathers, “no Capture Brigade for this heist then.”

“Definitely not,” Kaito asserts. “I’m gonna run this one with Jii-chan and that’s _it_. Believe me, I’m doing you all a favor. Sometimes I swear the kid was sent from hell to punish us all for our sins.”

Akako-chan breathes in as if preparing to say something.

“I didn’t mean that _literally_ , Akako!”

Akako-chan frowns but falls silent.

“You know,” Aoko can’t help speaking up, “despite all your complaining, you actually seem rather _excited_ whenever you talk about this Conan-kun.” She quirks a brow at Kaito. “You’re fond of him, aren’t you?”

“What? _No_!” Kaito scoffs, too obviously melodramatic to be believable. “If anything, I’m just excited to not have to deal with _you all_ for this heist.”

Aoko rolls her eyes. “Kaito...”

“No, seriously!” Kaito continues, apparently not willing to take a hint. “None of your nagging orders. Nobody telling me how to run _my_ heists. Back to basics, like it should be.”

“ _N_ _agging_?” Aoko echoes. “Really?”

Kaito, absolutely unrepentant, sticks out his tongue at her. Beside him, Hakuba-kun directs his eyes up towards the ceiling in clear exasperation, and Aoko, suddenly struck with an idea, allows herself an utterly wicked grin.

“Hakuba-kun?” she singsongs. “Hold his arms.”

Both boys blink at her in confusion for some moments, but Hakuba-kun manages to react first, grabbing Kaito by both wrists before he can get away. Kaito sputters in protest and twists about atop the sofa, but even with how slippery Kaito can be, Hakuba-kun nonetheless has sculpted arms and a grip that holds firm. Then Aoko approaches, pouncing so as to straddle Kaito’s hips between her knees, thoroughly trapping him against the couch cushions.

“Aoko?” Kaito’s gaze is just a hint fearful as he watches her. “What are you doing?”

“Something I haven’t done in a while,” Aoko answers, still smirking devilishly.

And with that, she dances her fingertips across his sides.

To his credit, Kaito tries to hold himself back, manages to keep from laughing for a good few seconds. But then Aoko viciously _digs_ her fingers into the spaces between his ribs and he’s a goner, dissolving into helplessly loud cackles and frenzied squirming as she tickles him right where they both know he’s weak. It’s not often she’s able to get him physically pinned down like this, and she hasn’t really felt the need to ever since she learned about the _fish_ thing, but now Aoko relishes the opportunity.

“ _NO_ _OO_ _O_!” Kaito shrieks hysterically. “H-Hakuba, let me go! Stop this!”

Hakuba-kun responds by crossing both of Kaito’s wrists behind his head, restricting the victim even further. “Hmm, I don’t know,” he drawls teasingly, his lips curling up at the corners as he exchanges an amused look with Aoko. “I think you deserve this.”

“Gah! _Traitor_!”

“Can I really be called a traitor when this fight never saw me on your side in the first place?”

From the sidelines, Akako-chan bursts into giggles herself, apparently very entertained by the display before her. Kaito just whines ever louder, his voice going hiccupy from forced mirth, his face turning a rather brilliant shade of red.

“Mercy!” he cries, when he’s laughing so hard there’s actual tears in his eyes. “Mercy, Aoko, _please_! I’ll do anything!”

Aoko quirks a brow, still thoroughly enjoying the way Kaito writhes beneath her touch. “Anything?”

“Anything! I swear!”

He sounds truly desperate there, breathless and begging, so Aoko supposes he’s been punished enough. Her fingers cease in their attack and a panting Kaito immediately goes slack in relief, collapsing backwards until his head is resting in Hakuba-kun’s lap. Aoko finds herself staring a little too intently as she realizes how weirdly _good_ he looks like that: wrecked and dominated and adorable.

“Okay, you got me,” Kaito gasps after regaining some breath, grinning even as he concedes defeat. “So what do you want?”

Aoko bites her lip.

She’s missed this more than she can even say. The jokes, the messing around, the fights over utterly stupid things. These past few weeks, she wasn’t comfortable enough to even _think_ of doing something so playfully mean to Kaito because she was upset about Kid, but now? Aoko is tired of being upset about Kid. Besides, she’s never been good at staying upset with Kaito for very long.

She will always choose Kaito.

And it isn’t until right now, in this moment, that Aoko finally truly accepts that.

“...I want a kiss.”

The request slips from her mouth before she can actually think it through, resulting in her suddenly clapping both hands over her mouth and Kaito blinking up at her with wide eyes and an unhinged jaw.

“...What?” Kaito’s cheeks, which had only just begun to lighten in color, suddenly flush red all over again.

Aoko can feel herself blushing hot as well, but she’s not about to backtrack now. Lowering her hands from her face, she firmly repeats, “I want a kiss,” before hazarding a glance up towards Hakuba-kun. “I mean, if that’s okay...?”

Though somewhat stunned, Hakuba-kun is not nearly as stupefied as Kaito, and he doesn’t put up any protest. “That’s up to him,” Hakuba-kun asserts, motioning his head down towards Kaito, and Aoko follows his gaze until she’s staring back into deep blue eyes.

“Kaito?” Aoko murmurs. “Is that okay?”

Kaito stares up at her for what feels like forever before swallowing hard. Pressing his hands against the couch, he pushes himself up until he’s in a sitting position, meeting Aoko at equal eye level. Inching himself forwards, he whispers, “I did say I’d do anything.”

Aoko needs no further prompting.

She’s wanted Kaito for a long time, longer than she’s ever wanted anyone, and when their lips make contact, she swears she sees fireworks explode behind her eyelids. Kaito is perfectly pliant against her and he feels good, he feels _right_ , he feels like finally coming home after years of being away. She kisses him so hard and so enthusiastically that he soon has to retreat for air, and Aoko giggles as he’s left wheezing once again.

“I forgive you,” she realizes out loud, before gently elbowing him in the ribs. “Jerk.”

“You... I...” Kaito stammers almost dreamily, somehow managing to seem both at a loss and on cloud nine at the same time. “Um...thank you.” Then realization seems to cross his face, and he glances to the side towards Akako-chan, then back to Aoko, before murmuring to himself, “So poly _i_ _s_ on the table.”

With that, Kaito abruptly whirls around in his seat to look at Hakuba-kun, who meets his gaze with wide, sunset-colored eyes. As those two engage in some sort of silent conversation, Aoko turns searchingly towards Akako-chan and is met with an encouraging smile. Then Kaito abruptly moves away, standing up so as to leave Aoko and Hakuba-kun sitting on the couch, gazing at each other from across the now empty seat.

“...Is a kiss okay?” Aoko asks after a minute, deciding to take the initiative. “For _you_ this time?”

Hakuba-kun simply nods.

Aoko crawls forward until their legs are touching, then tilts her chin to meet his lips with hers as Hakuba-kun reaches around to embrace her shoulders. His kiss is gently seeking, wonderfully following her lead, and his arms are all-encompassing in a way that makes Aoko feel distinctly safe and protected and warm. His body pressed against hers is strong, sturdy, and very unlike either Akako-chan’s soft curves or Kaito’s lean pliability.

Each of them kisses so differently, yet all of the three’s kisses fill her with the same certain, _loving_ joy.

Even after their lips separate, Aoko spends a good while just staring and smiling at Hakuba-kun, up until a pleased hum gains her attention. She glances over to see Akako-chan, having apparently approached the couch at some point, now standing right beside Kaito as her ruby eyes sparkle in delight. “Oh yes,” Akako-chan says. “I knew both of the boys would look good with you.”

Aoko grins. Not wanting Akako-chan to feel left out, she reaches out to take her hand, then lightly tugs her down to kiss her too.

“So,” Aoko addresses the entire group afterwards. “I guess I’m dating three people now. That’s fine with everyone, right?”

“Aoko-kun,” Hakuba-kun says, now sporting an exceedingly confident grin as he grabs Aoko’s other hand to kiss the tops of her knuckles. “It would be our _honor_.”

“Flirt monster,” Kaito mutters, rolling his eyes at Hakuba-kun before turning to Aoko. “But yeah. No complaints here.”

Aoko has never been happier to hear something in her life.

* * *

Suzuki’s challenge heist is fun. Kaitou Kid spends the first half of it disguised as an officer and the latter half as the new female secretary, during which he wears a lovely ensemble of statement dress, pantyhose, and heels that really help show off his legs. He taunts the police through a note that he pastes to the jeweled necklace’s display case, then taunts Tantei-kun through occasional flirtatious comments that the secretary makes towards his Ran-neechan. Before the night is over, Kid gets his hands on the prize, and while he’s admiring how the gold and the gems reflect the moonlight through the open window of an abandoned office, Tantei-kun pops up behind him as per usual.

Typical banter ensues, wherein Tantei-kun claims that he’s only letting Kid go “this time” even though that’s what he says _every_ time, and right when Kid leaves the necklace behind on the desk and is ready to make his escape, Tantei-kun chimes teasingly:

“Oh, by the way. Congrats on the sex.”

Kid freezes up. “Excuse me?”

Tantei-kun dips his head, causing his glasses to suddenly reflect the light in a vaguely sinister manner. “Tonight, you’ve shown up as a cop, as the secretary, and of course, as yourself. In all three personas, your gait has been noticeably freer, as if you’ve recently released some long-standing tension, in a way that I’ve _never_ seen on you before.” He looks up, his alarmingly perceptive eyes locking onto Kid as a positively shit-eating grin spreads across his face. “I can only assume you’ve recently found a partner?”

In an instant, the concept of poker face abandons Kid entirely.

To be fair, the little detective isn’t entirely correct. Kaito hasn’t has _sex_ yet; no relationship in the Capture Brigade’s mishmash net has developed far enough for anyone to have had sex yet. (And frankly, the fact that an apparent seven-year-old knows this much about the topic in general feels just plain _wrong_.) But there was an... _incident_ earlier today in Kaito’s home, during which four teenagers somehow ended up in a pile together on the living room floor, Kaito making out with Aoko while Hakuba and Akako each kissed one side of her neck and eight hands all wandered to some admittedly frisky places.

“...That is absolutely _none of your business_ ,” Kid eventually manages, his voice coming out far squeakier than he’d like to admit, and promptly dismisses himself from this discussion by jumping out the window.

“Sent from hell,” Kid mutters to himself, once his hang glider is open and he’s some distance from the building. “Definitely an agent of the devil.”

Still, as he thinks of his team, all of whom are currently waiting for him at his home, Kaito can’t help but smile.


End file.
